http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/vietnam/ en-us Sun, 3 Jan 2010 09:39:30 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419882/posts Vietnam orders gold-trading floors shut by end-March HANOI: Vietnam, where many people see gold as a safe haven against economic uncertainty, has ordered public gold-trading floors shut by March 31 because they rest on a “fragile foundation”. The order affects about 20 gold-trading houses operated by banks and other firms, which have been running for more than two years, the state-run Vietnam News reported. Retailing of gold jewellery will still be allowed, it said. The gold-trading floors have offered heavily-leveraged trading in which investors pay a security deposit of only seven percent of the net asset value of their trades... Daily Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419882/posts#comment Sun, 3 Jan 2010 09:39:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419470/posts The cost of war — on veterans’ health and taxpayer wallets — will loom a little larger in the new year. The Department of Veterans Affairs will issue a final rule to claim adjudicators to presume three more diseases of Vietnam veterans, including heart disease, were caused by exposure to Agent Orange. The rule, expected to be published soon, will make almost any veteran who set foot in Vietnam, and is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, B cell leukemia or ischemic heart disease (known also as coronary artery disease) eligible for disability compensation and VA medical care. The exception would be... SIERRA VISTA Herald/Review http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419470/posts#comment Sat, 2 Jan 2010 14:25:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418717/posts YORK It took 41 years, but a York County airman missing in action since the Vietnam War has finally been laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery after his remains were positively identified earlier this year. Melvin Douglas Rash, of Grafton, was buried with full military honors Dec. 7 at the revered Washington-area cemetery. He had been missing since 1968, when his Air Force C-130 airplane was presumably shot down over Vietnam. After years of dead ends, the plane's wreckage was finally positively identified in 2002 in a jungle area near the Laotian border. It took six years before military... Daily Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418717/posts#comment Fri, 1 Jan 2010 00:58:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415438/posts Vietnam is considering putting price controls on a broad array of products and is cracking down on certain personal and political activity, in a sharp reversal of what has been a move toward more-open markets and a more-open society. Foreign businesses worry about the threat of price controls—something many analysts consider a hallmark of Vietnam's Marxist past. That comes after authorities last month blocked access to Web sites such as Facebook and Twitter, following cases in which several bloggers were detained, then released, on charges of criticizing the government. In October, nine people were given stiff sentences for calling for... WSJ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415438/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 20:46:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414513/posts There is no shortage of "expert advice" on what we should do in Afghanistan in light of the shortcomings of the Karzai government. Several writers argue that the best way to fight the Taliban is to support and strengthen the traditional tribal system by dealing with individual tribes rather than working to build a national police force and army. While this might offer a short-term advantage over a more comprehensive "nation building" strategy, this approach proved disastrous in both Iraq and Vietnam. The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414513/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:17:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2413141/posts For the second time in 10 days, Protestant history was made in Vietnam yesterday when 12,000 people gathered for a Christmas rally here. Compass Direct News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2413141/posts#comment Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:25:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2410972/posts First, from Norway Vøringsfossen Click 'em for full-size. This next one's not big or great, but it shows where the hotel is. Also small, but a good view of the base of the falls. Something tells me it is NOT easy to get down there. Second, from the border of Vietnam and China: Detian/Ban Gioc. Click both for full-size. www.panoramio.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2410972/posts#comment Sat, 19 Dec 2009 05:22:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410184/posts In April 2009, reports surfaced that Vietnam had agreed in principle to a deal with Russia for 6 of its diesel-electric Kilo/ Project 636 Class fast attack submarines. There have been rumors that Vietnam owns 2 ex-Yugoslav mini-submarines for use in commando operations, but the Vietnamese People’s Navy doesn’t own any full size submarines that can take on enemy subs and ships. That’s about to change, thanks to a December 2009 contract. In addition to submarines, the Vietnamese Navy order is said to include new heavyweight torpedoes and missiles (most likely Klub family) to arm them. China’s April 2009 display... Defense Industry Daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410184/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:38:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409314/posts Vietnam aims to counter China with sub deal: analysts By Ian Timberlake (AFP) – 2 hours ago HANOI — Vietnam's major arms deal with Russia, reported to involve the purchase of six submarines, aims to bolster claims against China over potentially resource-rich islands in the South China Sea, analysts say. While much of Vietnam's military hardware is antiquated, it has decided to devote substantial resources to developing an underwater fleet as concerns mount over tensions with its giant neighbour over the Paracel and Spratly archipelagos, they say. "I think their primary rationale is to counteract the military build-up that the... Agence France Presse http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409314/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:43:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409165/posts AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq, Dec. 16, 2009 – From the battle at Belleau Wood, where Marines earned the name “Devil Dog,” to the iconic image of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima, Marine Corps history is embedded in every Marine from initial training at boot camp, and it continues to provide inspiration to those who serve. Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Viriato B. Sena stands before his Marines at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Oct. 13, 2009. Sena, who joined the Marine Corps in 1973, participated in the evacuation of Vietnam and is now deployed to Iraq for the drawdown of... Face of Defense http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409165/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:26:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2408462/posts A piece of Don Sunstrom's past has been missing for 40 years. While fighting in Vietnam, he'd gotten a fancy engraved cigarette lighter as a keepsake to remind him of a place he later would try to forget. But he lost the lighter in the jungles of Southeast Asia. Two months ago, Sunstrom, 65, who now lives in Blaine, was stunned to learn that the Zippo lighter had been found -- at the bottom of a lake in southern Wisconsin. Scott Mitchen, a professional treasure hunter and author, found the lighter during a dive in Delavan Lake and plans to... StarTribune.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2408462/posts#comment Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:09:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408313/posts WASHINGTON (AFP) — Vietnam's defence minister, making a rare visit to the United States, met Tuesday with a key US Senator who called ties between the two former war foes "very important." General Phung Quang Thanh met with Democratic Senator Jim Webb, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, and was to meet with Senator John McCain, the Senate Armed Services Committee's top Republican. "It is vitally important that the United States engage with Southeast Asia at all levels," Webb, a former Marine who served in the Vietnam war and visited Hanoi in August, said after his... AFP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408313/posts#comment Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:59:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2407694/posts HO CHI MINH CITY, December 14 (CDN) — On Friday evening (Dec. 11), history was made in communist Vietnam. Christian sources reported that some 40,000 people gathered in a hastily constructed venue in Ho Chi Minh City to worship God, celebrate Christmas, and hear a gospel message – an event of unprecedented magnitude in Vietnam. A popular Vietnamese Christian website and other reports indicated up to 8,000 people responded to the gospel message indicating a desire to follow Christ. Compass Direct News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2407694/posts#comment Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:28:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404585/posts WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama had a golden opportunity to become a peacemaker compared to his hawkish predecessor. But he has let that opening evaporate by escalating the war in Afghanistan. Now he is called a "war president" -- a dubious title that former President George W. Bush personally embraced after starting two devastating wars, one in Afghanistan, the other in Iraq. In both cases, the U.S. is touting its exit plans. In Iraq, Obama has declared a victory and plans to pull out many troops next year, though leaving thousands behind to secure the Baghdad government. In Afghanistan, Obama... TheBostonChannel.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404585/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:16:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2400504/posts Free Republic Bloggers & Personal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2400504/posts#comment Fri, 4 Dec 2009 21:38:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400207/posts Vietnam could become key importer of Russian weaponry Vietnam could become a key importer of Russian weaponry if several contracts on the purchase of diesel submarines and aircraft are signed in the near future, a Russian newspaper said. According to the Vedomosti business daily, Moscow and Hanoi are close to sign deals on the purchase of six Kilo class diesel-electric submarines and 12 Su-30MK2 Flanker-C multirole fighters. The submarine contract, worth an estimated $1.8 billion, includes the construction of on-shore infrastructure and training of submarine crews and will be the second largest submarine contract concluded by Russia since the Soviet... Ria Novosti http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400207/posts#comment Fri, 4 Dec 2009 15:33:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2400121/posts Miss. Survivor Of Vietnam's Hanoi Hilton Dies At 82 Pitchford Survived 7 Years In Prison Camp UPDATED: 3:48 pm CST December 3, 2009 JACKSON, Miss. -- Retired Air Force Col. Jack Pitchford, a fighter pilot from Mississippi who survived seven years in the Vietnamese prison camp known as the Hanoi Hilton, has died. He was 82. The Natchez, Miss., native was shot down in 1965 and taken to the Hoa Lo prison, a hellish place where Americans, including famous veterans like U.S. Sen. John McCain, were tortured. Pitchford was released in 1973. His brother said Pitchford died Wednesday after battling... WAPT News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2400121/posts#comment Fri, 4 Dec 2009 13:43:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2399208/posts I have referred before to the Left’s glory in the American defeat in Viet Nam. To hear them tell it, it was a dirty imperialist war in league with a corrupt South Vietnamese government fought by baby killing, torturing murderers that led to our righteous defeat. Forget for a moment about the enemy that long-ago war. On our side we had a reluctant president, Lyndon Johnson, who wanted to “manage” a war to a draw – not win it - who committed troops but pulled his punches and whose party was vehemently against the war in the first place. If... The Virginian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2399208/posts#comment Thu, 3 Dec 2009 13:01:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398869/posts President Obama May Not Remember Vietnam Turmoil WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama insists that his decision to escalate the war in Afghanistan by sending in 30,000 more troops is not Vietnam all over again. Well, it sure reminds me of the perils and the price of that unwinnable war in Southeast Asia and the political chaos it wreaked at home. In Afghanistan, the designated enemies are remnants of the weakened al-Qaida network and the native Taliban, which has been growing in strength despite the eight-year war started by President George W. Bush in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 catastrophe.... TheBostonChannel.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398869/posts#comment Thu, 3 Dec 2009 00:47:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398078/posts Staff Sgt. Heriberto Gonzalez, a force protection escort for the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, holds the American flag his father and grandfather both carried during wartime. Photo courtesy of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. JOINT BASE BALAD — Staff Sgt. Heriberto Gonzalez, 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, possesses an American flag that was carried by both his father and grandfather during wartime. "Gonzo," as he is referred to by his flight line coworkers, is on his eighth deployment since joining the Air Force. An avionics craftsman by trade, he volunteered to deploy to Iraq to provide security for local... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398078/posts#comment Wed, 2 Dec 2009 01:50:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2397617/posts Mr. President, it now falls to you to be both former Republican Senator George Aiken and the man to whom he spoke, Lyndon Johnson. You must declare victory, and get out. ... even though the Pentagon is a bunch of perpetually 12-year old boys desperate to stay up as late as possible by any means necessary — get out now. But poll after poll, and anecdote after anecdote, of the reality of public opinion inside Afghanistan is that its residents believe we are fighting Afghanistan. That we, Sir, have become an occupying force. Yes: if we leave, Afghanistan certainly will... msnbc http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2397617/posts#comment Tue, 1 Dec 2009 15:18:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2395467/posts HANOI (Reuters) - A Vietnamese man dug up his wife's corpse and slept beside it for five years because he wanted to hug her in bed, an online newspaper reported on Thursday. The 55-year-old man from a small town in the central province of Quang Nam opened up his wife's grave in 2004, molded clay around the remains to give the figure of a woman, put clothes on her and then placed her in his bed, Vietnamnet.vn said. The man, Le Van, told the website that after his wife died in 2003 he slept on top of her grave,... ABC News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2395467/posts#comment Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:23:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2394749/posts Vietnam devalued its currency by 5.4 per cent against the dollar yesterday and raised interest rates by a full percentage point in an effort to cut inflation and underpin the beleaguered dong. The dong has come under pressure recently as inflation started climbing and domestic demand, driven by the country's $8bn stimulus programme, drove the current account deficit to close to $2bn a month. It was trading on the grey market at 19,800 to the dollar on Tuesday but came back to 19,500 after the government move. Analysts, however, questioned whether financial markets would believe the latest move had put... FT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2394749/posts#comment Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:22:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1646586/posts Those who equate Haditha with My Lai, and Iraq with Vietnam, would do well to remember the last time we gave peace a chance. For millions of innocents, it was the peace of the grave. If there's anyone who condones the deliberate murder of civilians, it is not the U.S. government but the anti-war left and its unindicted co-conspirators in the media. Thanks largely to their efforts, we abandoned Vietnam and ushered in an era of mass carnage, boat people and reeducation camps that resulted in more death after the war than during it. After Saigon's "liberation," summary executions of... IBD http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1646586/posts#comment Sat, 10 Jun 2006 00:14:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392825/posts Russian Victoria Radochinskaya has won the Mrs World 2009 beauty pageant, which took place in the Vietnamese city of Vung Tau. Seventy-eight participants, aged between 19 and 41, competed for the title of the world's most beautiful married woman. Vietnam, the host country, was represented by two contenders. The final round of the competition took place on Sunday. Victoria Radochinskaya, 31, became the 15th winner of the contest since it was first held in 1985. The PR specialist received the $150,000 jewel-studded crown from last year's winner, Ukrainian Natalya Shmarenkova. First runner-up was Mrs America Andrea Robertson, a professional model.... RIA Novosti http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392825/posts#comment Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:21:39 GMT